UEFA Champions League 2009-2010

The Final Qualifying Round starts this Tuesday. Twenty teams go for the last 10 spots in the group phase.

Tuesday:
Celtic (SCO) vs Arsenal (ENG)
Sporting Lisbon (POR) vs Fiorentina (ITA)
FC Copenhagen (DEN) vs APOEL Nicosia (CYP)
Timisoara (ROM) vs Stuttgart (GER)
Sheriff (MOL) vs Olympiakos (GRE)

Wednesday:
Olympique Lyon (FRA) vs Anderlecht (BEL)
FK Ventspils (LAT) vs Zurich (SUI)
Maccabi Haifa (ISR) vs Red Bull Salzburg (AUT)
Levski Sofia (BUL) vs Debreceni (HUN)
Panathinaikos (GRE) vs Atlético de Madrid (ESP)

Already qualified to the group phase:
Barcelona, Real Madrid and Sevilla (ESP)
Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool (ENG)
Internazionale, Juventus and Milan (ITA)
Wolfsburg and Bayern Munich (GER)
Bordeaux and Marseille (FRA)
Rubin Kazan and CSKA Moscow (RUS)
Porto (POR)
Rangers (SCO)
AZ Alkmaar (NED)
Unirea (ROM)
Besiktas (TUR)
Standard Liege (BEL)
Dynamo Kyiv (UKR)

Celtic v Arsenal
Celtic Park, Glasgow
18th Aug 2009

I have my ticket in my pocket, and I am about to go into the centre of Glasgow to meet up with friends and get a couple of pints before the game to steady the nerves.
Glasgow will be absolutely bouncing with people today. U2 are playing at Hampden which is only 2 miles away from Celtic Park. 60k for that and another 60k for the footy. The city centre will be awash with music and footy fans. Can't wait!

We are underdogs against the top English club, and will probably lose over the 2 legs, but you never know! After losing our home leg 1-0 against Dynamo Moscow, I would never thought we would still be in the competition. To go to Russia and win 2-0 was an unbelievable result for us.
YouTube - Dynamo Moscow - Celtic Glasgow 0:2 Champions League Samaras 91'
So tonight is a bonus for us. I would be satisfied with any win at all, but that is being very optimistic. On form, Arsenal should destroy us.

Celtic 0-2 Arsenal

The English team won with two scrappy goals. They were the better team overall, but they didn't really carry any threat. We never did either. We were well below par. Too many of our players went into hiding when Arsenal scored just before h/t. We had no belief that we could compete with them after this.
Anyway, we still have to go to London next week and play them there, and who knows, we might get a goal from a deflected shot, or an o.g same as them tonight. But as our manager said after the game, if Arsenal score first, it's time to batten down the hatches!!
Really disappointed tonight.
Looks like I'll have to start a Europa Cup thread.

Sporting Lisbon 2 - 2 Fiorentina

Updated: August 19, 2009, 3:58 AM ET

Two away goals gave Fiorentina the upper hand going into the second leg of their Champions League play-off against Sporting Lisbon.

Hate to say this before Ciara's Dad, but it seems to me most of the favorites are going to go through. Arsenal, Lyon, Atletico Madrid, Stuttgart all seem to have done enough already, and I think Fiorentina will get by Sporting Lisbon at home. I'm really excited to see the draw this Friday.

tatepatsfan said:

Hate to say this before Ciara's Dad, but it seems to me most of the favorites are going to go through. Arsenal, Lyon, Atletico Madrid, Stuttgart all seem to have done enough already, and I think Fiorentina will get by Sporting Lisbon at home. I'm really excited to see the draw this Friday.

Click to expand...

If Celtic go out on Wed, which they probably will, , I'll look out for Marseille in the draw. You could be lucky and get drawn against Rangers from Scotland.
They are merde!!
Hope you avoid Barca, Real and the English teams.
Bon chance.

Thanks! We got stuck in a group with Atletico Madrid coming out of pool #4 last year, so I hope our luck will turn around this year. It is crazy to think that Real Madrid is going to be in pool #2 - that is going to be a terrible group for whichever two other teams get drawn in. Also, I hope we avoid Liverpool, not because I think they are better or worse than the other teams in pool #1, but just because we have played them in the group stages two years in a row, and I'd like to watch OM play someone else.

Arsenal 3-1 Celtic

Arsenal progress to the group stages of the CL at the expense of Cletic.
Eduardo's dive for the penalty for the first goal was embarassing. Ultimately, the best team went through, although if I was an Arsenal fan, I wouldn't believe all the hype surrounding their team. I don't think they are as good as they think they are.
Bring on the Europa league!!

Wow Barca and Inter together. Really hoping Marseille avoid that group.

Well, no Barca/Inter, but I'm not sure AC Milan/Real Madrid is much better. I think we could get past AC Milan. Have to see who the 4th team is - must avoid Wolfsburg.

Bit gutted we didn't get Madrid to be honest. Decent draw for us, Lyon being the toughest test but Fiorentina are a decent side also. I'll be expecting us to qualify..

Well, for Marseille to get through, we'll have to get all 6 points against Zurich and hope for a win in the first match against Milan in Marseille. It's going to be tough, but I really think we can do better than Milan.

Ciara's Dad - looks like Celtic got a pretty good draw in the Europa League. Hamburg is tough, but Celtic shouldn't have too much trouble against an Israeli and Austrian side.

ScousePatriot - Liverpool didn't get the toughest draw, but neither Fiorentina nor Lyon will be easy. I think Liverpool wins their group and Lyon barely gets past Fiorentina.

For OM, it will be a struggle to qualify. Real for sure and Milan will think they are 2nd favourites. They always raise their game for the CL and always seem to get any 50/50 decisions from referees. It will be a very interesting group. I, for one, have always wanted to draw Real, I would love to go to the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. I will watch Milan in their derby game against Inter tonight, so I will get a look at them. Zurich should be ok. A beautiful city I have been told.

Liverpool should qualify ok. I saw Lyon recentely and they looked ok. They should go through ok as well.

As for Rangers, they must have sold their souls, if they could find them, to the devil for a draw like that.

For Celtic in the EL, we should get 2nd place in that group.

I watched Milan get beat my Inter last night 4-0. They were not very impressive. Certainly, at home, OM should give them a tough game.
Madrid won 3-2 at home, but at 2-2 Deportivo should have scored. They are good up front, but at the back they can be got at.

tatepatsfan said:

ScousePatriot - Liverpool didn't get the toughest draw, but neither Fiorentina nor Lyon will be easy. I think Liverpool wins their group and Lyon barely gets past Fiorentina.

Click to expand...

They way we've started the season we'll have to improve to do so. Hopefully the likes of Aquilani will be back when we're getting stuck into the CL. We desperately need that extra quality and class in the middle.

Ciara's Dad said:

I watched Milan get beat my Inter last night 4-0. They were not very impressive. Certainly, at home, OM should give them a tough game.
Madrid won 3-2 at home, but at 2-2 Deportivo should have scored. They are good up front, but at the back they can be got at.

Click to expand...

I think Real v. OM might actually be interesting, only because they are so good offensively and weaker defensively, and OM is the exact opposite - we are very good defensively, but I am very concerned about where our goals will come from.

I watched the AC Milan - Inter match yesterday too, and even before Gattuso got sent off, AC Milan did not look very impressive. To be sure, OM is not Inter, but still, I think we can raise some eyebrows. The match is just two weeks away!

Scouse Patriot said:

They way we've started the season we'll have to improve to do so. Hopefully the likes of Aquilani will be back when we're getting stuck into the CL. We desperately need that extra quality and class in the middle.

Click to expand...

Without StevieG, Liverpool would struggle at bit I think. He is the difference between all 3pts and a draw. The loss of Alonso doesn't help.
It is interesting how the sale of some players has affected the top 4 English teams. The only ones who seem not to have suffered is Chelsea. I have watched Arsenal now a couple of times now, and I'm yet to be convinced of them. Manu fans raving about D.Fletcher yesterday shows how desperate they are for a hero! If Rooney gets injured, they will struggle. He is their game-changer.

OM 0-0 Bordeaux

Top two teams in France last term. Like I said, I figured our defense would hold up quite well (Bordeaux had very few real chances); yet our attack was lacking. We had a few good chances (Cheyrou hit the bar with about 15 minutes left to play), but in a game we should have won, we just couldn't get the ball into the net.

Wins for Liverpool and Celtic

tatepatsfan said:

Wow Barca and Inter together. Really hoping Marseille avoid that group.

Click to expand...

Barca will win the champions league. But I also hope that Marseille will win a few games.

hi

i am new here & Plz help me.